NFL Combine 2017: Biggest Storylines to Watch for in Indianapolis
Nine of the 11 groups participating in the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine are in Indianapolis and have started the testing, measurement and interview process. On Thursday, members of the first few groups will finally start working out in front of scouts, executives and even fans.
In other words, the combine is about to get real.
In case you've spent the last three-and-a-half weeks sleeping off an epic Super Bowl hangover, we've got you covered.
Here's a look at what's likely to make the most news and generate the most buzz over the course of the next five days in Indy.
The Quarterbacks Jockey
1 of 10
This year's draft class contains several talented quarterbacks, but there isn't a sure thing in the batch.
That adds a lot of intrigue to the pre-draft process at the position, because it's hard to imagine that at least a couple quarterbacks won't be drafted early regardless. Quarterbacks were taken with the top two picks in 2012, 2015 and 2016, and at least one signal caller has been selected in the top three in 15 of the last 16 years.
There's uber-athletic former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, who skipped the Senior Bowl but will be a full participant in Indy. There's North Carolina product Mitch Trubisky, who shined during his only season as a starter with the Tar Heels. There's the 6'4", 230-pound DeShone Kizer, who excelled in a spread offense at Notre Dame but has a lot to prove in meetings. And then there's Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes (pictured), whose stock has been rising this winter.
If one of those four can stand out at Lucas Oil Stadium, he'll have a good chance at becoming the top prospect at the position.
But don't count out second- and third-tier quarterbacks like Miami's Brad Kaaya, Cal's Davis Webb, Tennessee's Josh Dobbs and Pitt's Nathan Peterman, who could also emerge in a big way.
Conspicuous Absentees
2 of 10
One lower-tier quarterback prospect who won't have a chance to emerge at the combine is Mississippi product Chad Kelly, who was one of several players not invited (or in Kelly's case, disinvited) to the event because of off-field incidents.
As NFL.com's Chase Goodbread noted, the league instituted a policy last year barring "prospects from combine participation who have misdemeanor or felony convictions involving violence or use of a weapon, domestic violence, a sexual offense and/or sexual assault."
Kelly pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in 2015 as part of a plea deal stemming from a 2014 arrest outside a Buffalo nightclub. Strangely, ESPN's Bill Polian noted recently (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) that he was originally invited to the combine before having that invitation rescinded. According to Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News, he considered showing up anyway before deciding not to attend.
Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon (pictured) and Baylor receiver Ishmael Zamora also weren't invited. Mixon was videotaped punching a woman in the face in 2014, while Zamora was suspended three games in 2016 after video emerged of him beating a dog.
The policy has come under fire this winter, mainly because it makes it more difficult for teams to perform due diligence on skilled players with less-than-ideal pasts.
"What I'd like to see, instead of not inviting them, I'd like to proactively get after the situation, get in front of the situation and sit these kids down at the combine, these troubled players, and give them a level of expectations if they want to play in the NFL," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock told Skurski. "Let's sit these kids down and proactively get in front of it and try to make them good citizens along with good football players."
That won't happen this year, and it'll be a big story throughout the week.
Myles Garrett Looks to Cement His Standing
3 of 10
It's almost impossible to find a mock draft right now that doesn't have former Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett going first overall. And that makes sense, because the guy is a beast.
Garrett is 6'5", 270 pounds with a 40-inch vertical and 4.45 speed. He's a massive defensive back with the power to dominate up front, which is exactly what he did for three seasons in College Station.
One general manager told Bleacher Report's Matt Miller that Garrett stands above the rest of his draft class the same way Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck did in 2012.
Now the 21-year-old has a chance to solidify his status as the draft's best player by owning speed and power drills on Sunday. It'd be surprising if he didn't do exactly that.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
How Healthy Is Leonard Fournette?
4 of 10
Watson and Garrett are superstars, but LSU running back Leonard Fournette might be the most popular prospect taking part in the 2017 combine. After averaging 6.5 yards per carry during his final two seasons with the Tigers, the 22-year-old is widely projected to be a top-10 pick.
That's rare these days when you're a running back—reserved for next-level talents like Adrian Peterson, Trent Richardson, Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott. But Fournette is so big, powerful, fast and explosive that he has that potential.
The key now is to become a Peterson or an Elliott, not a Gurley or a Richardson. And staying healthy could be a big factor there, because Fournette's 2016 campaign was somewhat marred by the severe ankle injury he suffered in a preseason scrimmage. He still put up big numbers when he was able to suit up as a junior, but he often wasn't himself and he sat out the Citrus Bowl in December.
Will Carroll of SEC Country noted in the fall that Fournette's ankle injury could become a chronic problem. He underwent medical exams on Wednesday and will be poked and prodded further over the next two days. We aren't privy to those reports, and there might be no issues. But even if there are, we might never know.
Can Someone Make a Run at Chris Johnson's 4.24?
5 of 10
It is hard to believe it was nine years ago when Chris Johnson set a combine record with a 4.24-second 40-yard dash. Speedy prospects have been chasing that mark ever since, to no avail.
In recent years, Adidas has added incentive by offering up high-profile rewards to anyone who breaks the record. This year, they're willing to give away actual land.
"Adidas is offering an island to any prospect who breaks the 4.24-second time clocked at the combine by Chris Johnson in 2008," wrote ESPN's Darren Rovell on Tuesday, "as long as he does it in the company's 2017 Adizero 5-Star 40 cleats and agrees to endorse the company's shoes for the entire 2017-18 season."
Rovell added that players can also opt for $1 million in straight cash, homie, instead.
Which prospects have the best shot this weekend?
- FSU wide receiver Kermit Whitfield was a Florida state champion in the 100 and 200 meters as a high school senior. He can definitely run in the 4.3s.
- Washington wide receiver John Ross is a blazer who, according to Christian Caple of the News Tribune, ran a hand-timed 4.25-second 40-yard dash despite coming off a major knee injury last offseason.
- USC cornerback Adoree' Jackson ran track for the Trojans, posting a 10.38-second 100-meter dash.
- Washington safety Budda Baker might not even be the fastest guy out of that program, but defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake clocked his forty at 4.32 seconds last spring.
- Western Kentucky receiver Taywan Taylor has been clocked at 4.33, according to NFL.com's Chase Goodbread.
Other speedsters with a chance include FSU running back Dalvin Cook, Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey and Baylor wide receiver KD Cannon.
Jabrill Peppers, Linebacker?
6 of 10
For a potential first-round pick, Jabrill Peppers is an enigma in that he could become a star at two different positions. Though in the fall ESPN's Mel Kiper ranked the 21-year-old Heisman Trophy finalist as the best safety in this year's draft class, he's participating in the combine as a linebacker.
Peppers played both positions at Michigan, where he was recruited as a cornerback, and that versatility will obviously help his stock. Still, while he really took a step forward as a hybrid linebacker in 2016, the 6'1", 205-pounder might not be big enough to consistently play in the box at the NFL level. The league's lightest linebacker last season weighed 212 pounds.
This gives Peppers a chance to show teams that he can be used in a hybrid role, especially if he bulks up. But he might have had a chance to stand out more in drills as a defensive back.
The NFL-Level Quarterback Carousel Could Start Spinning
7 of 10
Rarely do starting-caliber quarterbacks become available in the NFL, but this offseason could be an exception. In fact, it looks like this will be a uniquely epic year for the veteran quarterback carousel.
The Dallas Cowboys could part with Tony Romo, the Buffalo Bills might move on from Tyrod Taylor, the Chicago Bears are likely to say goodbye to Jay Cutler and the Houston Texans might even cut bait on Brock Osweiler.
Trade rumors have already swirled regarding Jimmy Garoppolo of the New England Patriots and Kirk Cousins of the Washington Redskins, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that Colin Kaepernick will opt out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
We're just waiting for the first domino to fall. And that could come in the way of a trade involving any of the names above, except Kaepernick.
While nothing can become official until the new league year gets underway next week, team executives will certainly be talking trade in Indy. Reporters will be present. Leaks may spring.
The Rumor Mill Gains Power
8 of 10
Speaking of the hot stove, the rumor mill regarding trades, extensions, cuts and even rule changes always picks up steam at the combine.
Will the New York Jets finally strike a deal involving defensive end Sheldon Richardson? Will teams make runs at Jamaal Charles or Nick Mangold? Will anyone else commit tampering by talking to or about Adrian Peterson?
Like Peterson, Darrelle Revis will have to wait until next week to officially hit the free-agent market, and more veterans will join those guys between now and then. Chances are, we'll get some of that information by way of reports featuring anonymous sources this weekend.
The NFL Competition Committee's meetings have already generated buzz. NFL Media's Judy Battista reported that the league is considering adopting fully centralized replay review and making referees full-time employees. And USA Today's Tom Pelissero reported that the same committee was expected to meet with former players and representatives from the NFL Players Association about reexamining rules on celebration penalties.
What Is Cleveland Thinking? (Or What Does It Want Us to Think It Is Thinking?)
9 of 10
The Cleveland Browns are on clock with the top pick in the draft. They have an NFL-high 12 selections altogether and more money to spend than the everyone else in the league.
They've also become the league's most unpredictable team when it comes to personnel decisions, which makes it tough to tell what they're leaning toward doing with that No. 1 overall selection. Garrett might be as close as you'll get to a sure thing, but the Browns also need a quarterback and let's not forget that this relatively new regime seems to love accumulating draft currency.
"We're going to responsibly listen to any opportunities that are out there," vice president of football operations Sashi Brown (pictured) said Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Pat McManamon.
That indicates the Browns could be open to trading a high first-round pick for the second consecutive year.
If the team does have a tentative plan in place, it hasn't leaked to the press. Might that change in Indy? And if it does, can we trust what we're hearing? It's a magically frustrating time of year.
Even More Fan Access
10 of 10
This is the sixth year the NFL has opened up the combine to fans, and spectator access has really taken off at this one.
Per ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, 6,000 tickets were handed out for this year's combine. That's four times last year's total of 1,500. And fans can now watch from only a few feet away as prospects take part in the bench press.
Fans are also welcome to run the 40 and try their hand at a variety of other drills. However, general managers and scouts won't likely be watching. Cool it, Vince Papale.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
